EASY READING: HOW TO DECIPHER THOSE NUTRITION LABELS

With the updating of the federally-mandated nutrition fact labels to include trans fats, there is really no excuse not to know what you are eating — at least when it comes to most prepackaged foods.

“Of course, people have different issues they need to look out for, but, whatever the issue, they should look at the label and look out for those things,” says Liz Moore, RD, LDN, a registered dietitian at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “It’s always a good thing to know what you are eating.”

The labels begin with a standard serving size, and that’s the first thing to look at.

“You’ve got to know how many servings there are in each container,” says Moore. “Sometimes, it may look like it is just one serving in the container, but it might actually have two, three, or four servings in it.”

If that’s the case and you eat the whole bag or box, you’ve doubled, tripled or quadrupled the amount of calories or fat you are consuming.

Calories are listed second, along with calories from fat. Total calories, along with serving size, are the most important things to look for if you are watching your weight.

“If you are trying to lose weight, you will definitely want to look at serving size and calories per serving,” Moore says. “Taking in extra overall calories is what makes you gain weight.”

Total fat is listed after calories.

“I suggest looking at total fat, but make sure to read underneath to find out what kinds of fat are included,” she says. “You want to limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats.”

Moore notes that a cup of premium ice cream may have the same number of grams of fat as a tablespoon of olive oil, but points out that the fat in ice cream is saturated, while the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated. Saturated fat is linked to cholesterol and heart disease, while monounsaturated fat is known as a “good fat” and works to lower cholesterol.

Fortunately, many foods no longer contain trans fats, an artificially produced fat that is linked to higher cholesterol and heart disease. These fats are mostly found in processed foods such as baked goods, but some manufacturers have phased them out because they are so unhealthy and have received lots of bad publicity.

Those watching their weight should also pay particular attention to fiber, according to Moore.

“It makes you feel full longer,” she says. “The more fiber, the better. A product is good if it contains 4 or more grams of fiber,” she adds. According to Moore, the goal should be 25 to 35 grams per day, but “most Americans don’t get half of that.”

Total daily fat intake generally should not exceed 30 percent of total calories. About 60 grams of fat is about right for someone consuming 2,000 calories per day.

In addition to looking at labels for weight reasons, consumers also can pay attention to them for a variety of other health reasons, including heart health and diabetes.

Moore says people with heart issues should pay attention to the amount of cholesterol they take in and should aim for consuming less than 150 mg per day.

Meanwhile, people with high blood pressure should pay close attention to sodium content.

“Healthy adults should ingest no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, while those with blood pressure issues should keep it to fewer than 1,500 mg,” she says.

People with diabetes should look at carbohydrates, sugars and fiber, according to Moore. The amounts of sugar and carbohydrates they consume should depend on the particular diabetes regimen they are following and what medications they may be on. Guidelines should be set in connection with the health care professional overseeing their diabetes care.